Bow for automobile-tops



J. VETTER.

BOW FOR AUTOMOBILE TOPS.

APPLICATION FILED Auc.27. 1918.

1,340,307. Patented ay 18, 19201 -UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH VE'ITER, F TOLEDO, OHIO.

BOW FOR AUTOMOBILE-TOPS.

Application filed August 2'7, 1918.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH VETTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Bow for Automobile-Tops; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to folding tops for automobiles, or the like, and particularly to the deck cover supporting bows thereof.

The object of my invention is the provision of an improved bow of the class described and particularly to the construction of the bow and the manner of detachably connecting it to the supporting uprights or carrying legs.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and while in its broader aspect, it is capable of embodiment in numerous forms, a preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a top embodying my invention with portions broken away. Figs. 2 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary vertical sections taken through the front and rear bows thereof, respectively, and Fig. i is a side view of the rear bow with portions of the leg sections broken away and with one half of the bow in central longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the front and rear frame bows, respectively, of an automobile top of the foldable type, 3 the deck covering therefor, at a customary bead strip, one of which extends from the front to the rear bow along each side roll of the top, 5 one of the custoniary straps which extend from the rear bow down to the back of the automobile top, and 8 the back covering of the top.

In the present embodiment of my invention the front and rear bows of the top are shown as having channel strips mounted thereon adapted to receive the front and rear edge beads of the deck cover 3 and beading strips l, and the channel strip of the rear how was also adapted to receive the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Serial No. 251,618.

upper edge beads of the rear straps 5 and rear cover 6, such beads being prevented from withdrawal from the respective channel strips by insert strips or binding members T. In the present invention, the channel members are so constructed as to not only serve to cooperate with the members 7 to hold the deck covering members and straps, but also to form the deck supporting bows and to permit an easy and quick detachment of the bows proper, or portions thereof to which the upholstering is secured over the supporting leg members thereof.

For this purpose the rear bow 2 is made in hollow form from sheet metal or other suitable material, with its top or outer side provided with a longitudinally extending channel 10, which channel is spaced from the side edges of the bow to form a recess 11 at each side thereof for receiving the respective edge beads 8 of the top upholstering, as shown in Fig. 3. A web 12 extends longitudinally of the bow interiorly thereof, and, in the present instance, divides the inner and outer portions thereof practically in half, and forms the bottom of the channel 10. The bow has short legs 13 which are adapted to telescope within extensions or supporting sections 14, which are hollow or socketed at their inner ends for such purpose and preferably made of sheetnietal. The channel and web 12 of the bow extends to the ends of the legs 13, as these legs terminate adjacent to the sidev edges of the upholstering and each web 12 is provided in its leg portion with a slot or eye 15 into which the angled end of a spring-retaining tongue 16 may project. One of these tongues is secured within each leg section 14 in position to be in serted within the respective bow leg 13 between the inner side thereof and the web 12, when the leg section is telescoped over the leg portion of the bow, as shown in Fig. 4-. When the leg portions 13 and 1% have been telescoped a sufficient extent for the angled end of the tongue 16 to register with the eyes 15, the tongues spring into the eyes and retain the parts in assembled relation. A tongue may be released from its engaging eye by inserting an instrument into the bow channel 10 and exerting an inward releasing pressure on the tongue. The front bow 1 is the same in construction as the rear bow, except that the lower edge thereof, in the present instance, is not provided with a bead-retainmg recess.

It is evident that with my invention the bows may be cheaply formed and quickly assembled or disconnected with respect to their supporting leg portions.

I wish it understood that my invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable of numerous changes and modifications without departing from the spirit of the claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

A top bow having hollow telescopically connecting leg and bow sections, the bow section having a longitudinally-extending channel in one side thereof, and an internal longitudinally-extending web spaced from the inner and outer sides of the bow sections and forming the bottom of said channel, said web being provided at its ends with eyes, and a spring tongue within the telescoping end of each leg section for insertion into the bow at one side of said web and to releasably engage within one of said adjacent eyes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

JOSEPH VETTER. 

